National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as amended, its implementing regulations, and NMFS' MMPA Regulations for Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Surveys Related to Oil and Gas Activities in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM), notification is hereby given that NMFS has modified the expiration date of a Letter of Authorization (LOA) issued to WesternGeco for the take of marine mammals incidental to geophysical survey activity in the GOM.

The New England Fishery Management Council's is convening its Scientific and Statistical Committee (SSC) via webinar to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The New England Fishery Management Council (Council) is scheduling a public webinar of its Risk Policy Working Group to consider actions affecting New England fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ). This meeting will be held in-person with a webinar option. Recommendations from this group will be brought to the full Council for formal consideration and action, if appropriate.

The MAFMC will hold a public meeting (webinar) of its Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish (MSB) Monitoring Committee. See SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION for agenda details.

The Caribbean Fishery Management Council (CFMC) will host a meeting of the Council Coordination Committee (CCC) consisting of eight Regional Fishery Management Council (RFMC) chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors and its subcommittees from May 21 to May 23, 2024. The intent of this meeting is to discuss issues of relevance to the Councils and NMFS, including issues related to the implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act (MSA), other topics of concern to the RFMC, and decisions and follow-up activities.

NOAA is seeking up to 25 individuals to serve on the Advisory Committee on Excellence in Space (ACES), a Federal advisory committee. Members of the committee will evaluate economic, technological, and institutional developments relating to nongovernmental space activities and submit advice and recommendations on promising new ideas and approaches for Federal policies and programs. The ACES membership should consist of a variety of space policy, engineering, technical, science, legal, and finance professionals with significant experience in the commercial space industry.

The Western Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold meetings of its Archipelagic Plan Team (APT) and Pelagic Plan Team (PPT) to discuss fishery management issues and develop recommendations for future management of fisheries in the Western Pacific Region.

NMFS is correcting the link that was in the ADDRESSES of the Notice of Availability to the "Draft Supplemental Programmatic Environmental Assessment (SPEA) for Fisheries Research Conducted and Funded by the Alaska Fisheries Science Center." This notice provides a correction to that website address; all other information is unchanged. The correct weblink is https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/action/draft- supplemental-programmatic-environmental-assessment-fisheries- research- conducted-and-0.

Five free Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Outreach Workshops will be held from April 29, 2024 through May 3, 2024 in locations across Puerto Rico. These workshops are being offered to be responsive to stakeholder requests for additional outreach in Puerto Rico and U.S. Caribbean communities. The objectives of the HMS Outreach Workshops are to educate fishers, dealers, and the general public on HMS regulations, distribute outreach materials, and assist fishers in applying for HMS permits.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) Bering Sea Aleutian Islands Crab Plan Team (BSAI CPT) will meet May 14, 2024 to May 16, 2024.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will host a Seminar Series presentation on Electronic Self-Reporting Programs in Recreational Fisheries via webinar on May 14, 2024.

NMFS announces a public meeting of the Permanent Advisory Committee (PAC) to advise the U.S. Commissioners to the Commission for the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (WCPFC) on May 13, 2024. Meeting topics are provided under the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this notice.

The NMFS Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce proposes to revise its current implementing regulations to improve the uniformity and reliability of seafood inspection services by adopting recognized best practices for inspection. NMFS has not significantly revised or updated the existing regulations since first issuing them in 1971, though it has modified many operating procedures since implementation of the current regulations. NMFS anticipates that these revisions will benefit the seafood industry by streamlining seafood inspection services and providing improved, more accurate inspection results, as described below.

Notice is hereby given of the availability of final evaluation findings for seven State and territory coastal management programs (i.e., Alabama, Connecticut, Guam, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia), and four national estuarine research reserves (i.e., He[revaps]eia, Grand Bay, Narragansett Bay, and Waquoit Bay), which were prepared pursuant to sections 312 and 315 of the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA).

This notice sets forth a new schedule and proposed agenda of a meeting of the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) that could not proceed on February 26, 2024 due to technical difficulties. At this new scheduled meeting, the members will discuss issues outlined in the section on Matters to be considered.

NMFS announces the closure of the Northern Gulf of Maine (NGOM) Scallop Management Area for the remainder of the 2024 fishing year for Limited Access General Category vessels. Regulations require this action once NMFS projects that 100 percent of the Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside will be harvested. This action is intended to prevent the overharvest of the 2024 Northern Gulf of Maine Set-Aside.

NMFS has reassessed the statutorily mandated findings supporting its January 19, 2021 final rule, "Regulations Governing Taking Marine Mammals Incidental to Geophysical Survey Activities in the Gulf of Mexico," issued pursuant to the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), as the estimates of incidental take of marine mammals anticipated from the activities analyzed for the 2021 final rule were erroneous. NMFS has corrected this error and considered and incorporated other newly available and pertinent information relevant to the analyses supporting some of the findings in the 2021 final rule and the taking allowable under the regulations. There are no changes to the specified activities or the specified geographical region in which those activities would be conducted, nor to the original 5-year period of effectiveness. In light of the new information, NMFS presents new analyses supporting our affirmance of the negligible impact determinations for all species, and affirms that the existing regulations, which contain mitigation, monitoring, and reporting requirements, are consistent with the "least practicable adverse impact (LPAI) standard" of the MMPA.

This proposed rule would implement a set of management measures recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) to ensure fishery impacts on California Coastal (CC) Chinook salmon, which are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, remain within the conservation objective in the Council's Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan (Salmon FMP). Under the proposed rule, management tools (e.g., trip limits (also known as landing and possession limits) and inseason management) consistent with the provisions of the Salmon FMP would be used to provide greater certainty in avoiding exceedances of the conservation objectives for CC Chinook salmon.

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) will hold three public hearings (one as a webinar) and accept written comments regarding an action intended to revise the species separation requirements in the Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog fisheries.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (Council) submitted amendment 127 to the Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area (BSAI), amendment 115 to the FMP for Groundfish of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), amendment 56 to the FMP for BSAI King and Tanner Crabs, amendment 17 to the FMP for the Salmon Fisheries in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) Off Alaska, and amendment 3 to the FMP for Fish Resources of the Arctic Management Area (amendments) to the Secretary of Commerce for review. If approved, these amendments would revise the FMPs by updating the description and identification of essential fish habitat (EFH) and updating information on adverse impacts to EFH based on the best scientific information available. These amendments are intended to promote the goals and objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act), the FMPs, and other applicable laws.

NMFS will hold a 3-day Atlantic Highly Migratory Species (HMS) Advisory Panel (AP) meeting in May 2024. The intent of the meeting is to consider options for the conservation and management of Atlantic HMS. The meeting is open to the public.

We, NMFS, announce a 90-day finding on a petition under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to list the whitespotted eagle ray (Aetobatus narinari) as a threatened or endangered species and to designate critical habitat concurrent with the listing. We find that the petition does not present substantial scientific or commercial information indicating that the petitioned action may be warranted.